Guard Victor Olatunji. Slavia discovered a recipe for a Spartan weapon

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The duels of two Nigerian legionnaires, the stopper Igoh Ogbua on the Slavist side and the striker of Sparta Victor Olatunji, give a new charge to the big derby. However, in the last match between Slavia and Sparta, the injured Ogbu was not available and Olatunji lasted only half of the game. Stopper David Zima “kicked” him off the field with a perfect defense.

A native of Sokoto, a city with 360,000 inhabitants located in the north-western corner of the country, he headed to the coveted Europe via Slovakia, where in November 2017 he got a job with the second division Inter Bratislava. He tried out the new environment only in the fall of 2018, playing in 14 matches and scoring one goal.

However, it did not attract general attention. “I didn’t even know that the current Spartan striker worked for Inter,” admits Slavomír Ondrejička, a respected Slovak journalist who played in the highest Czechoslovak competition for the club bearing that name in the 1970s. “I didn’t perceive him in any way,” the editor-in-chief of the monthly Futbol magazine is unable to provide any information from Olatunji’s first time on the old continent.

The tall player (192 centimeters) was noticed more after his transfer to the first league team Železiarne Podbrezová. “There are a lot of footballers from Africa in the Slovak league who want to make a career in Europe,” explains another respected journalist, Peter Šurin. “Many agents are circling around them, for example Branislav Jašurek is very active,” reveals good monitoring of exotic reinforcements.

Olatunji did not dazzle in Slovakia, he did not save the club from relegation. However, he gathered valuable experience, got to know the environment.

The knowledge came in handy when he signed a contract with Slovan Liberec in January 2023. “He had been working in Cyprus for some time, but I knew that he had also been involved in Slovakia,” admits Luboš Kozel, the coach of the North Bohemian team at the time.

He could therefore count on the fact that understanding would also become easier. “No, he only picked up a few Slovak football expressions, that’s all,” refutes the impression that Olatunji could communicate with his new teammates in the Slavic language.

Also, the transition to the cold Ještěd winter from sunny Cyprus was gradual. “He flew to us for a tournament played in Malta. Only then did the winter preparation at our place follow. It was certainly difficult for him, the frost, the snow, the artist, but he managed it. Perhaps also because he experienced it in Slovakia,” the experienced Czech coach admits that he already had some knowledge in him.

Liberec, however, primarily needed a full-bodied forward. “Luka Kulenović was not completely healthy, the tall Nigerian reinforcement suited us,” reveals Kozel.

It paid off, in 18 spring duels, Olatunji scored eight goals for Liberec. And he was targeted by champion Sparta, who acquired him for 900,000 euros (about 22.5 million crowns).

The North Bohemian club evaluated the exotic attacker well. “Our club’s long-term focus is on the development of talented players who can then move on in their careers,” explained Slovan’s chairman Zbyněk Štiller. “It was the same with Victor, who was able to develop himself with us and draw attention to himself with quality performances. The offer of the championship team Sparta was attractive for us and for him,” he said.

At Letná, he was welcomed with open arms. “A player with interesting physical and speed parameters is transferring to us. It’s typologically a striker that we don’t have in the squad,” sporting director Tomáš Rosický pointed out his strengths. “Victor has the potential to continue to develop in our environment, which is also a key reason why we are bringing him in,” he said.

Now Olatunji is worth twice as much, according to the specialist portal Transfermarkt.com.

The African footballer contributed to Sparta’s title defense in the 2023/2024 season with three goals, two of which were game-winning goals, coincidentally one against Liberec. He achieved them in 30 matches, while he had to miss one due to a penalty for being sent off in Hradec Králové in the 11th round.

Not once did he score the full 90 minutes, he either substituted or was substituted, but he was a welcome substitute for the sharp Jan Kuchta.

He received the most recognition in the derby with Slavia in the semi-finals of the MOL Cup this February. Although the home team was already leading 2-0, the visitors managed to equalize with two goals from Olatunji. In overtime, a converted penalty kick advanced Sparta to the final.

There was nothing but praise for the tall striker. “He was excellent, great. In every respect. Defensively, Slavia created huge problems,” explained Brian Priske, the Danish coach of the Spartan team at the time. “He is improving, after coming from Liberec he needed some time to adapt, but it is gradually becoming clear that he can be key for the team,” he emphasized.

Two goals in the derby is a great value, he won his teammates, coach, fans. “It was a turning point for him in Sparta,” points out Kozel.

He is asserting himself in the current year as well, before the derby with Slavia, he played in eight games (again, not one with a full minute load), in which he scored three goals, just like in the entire past year. Opponents are already well aware of him, they watch him carefully, but sometimes it doesn’t matter to them.

He also left a significant mark in the Champions League. He participated in the demolition of the Austrian Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 in his first Spartan appearance with a goal and an assist, becoming only the third African footballer to do so on his debut.

According to analytics company Opta, Olatunji is the first Nigerian to do so, with only Gabonese Daniel Cousin in 2007 and Ivory Coast’s Serge Aurier nine years ago. It is no wonder that his compatriots are appropriately proud of him.

His rampage caused an extraordinary response in his native country. He also impressed with his unconventional celebration after scoring a goal – with a message on his T-shirt: I am a chosen. Who are you? (translated: I am the chosen one. Who are you?). The ecclesiastical-tinged quote went viral on Nigerian social media and users were ecstatic that Olatunji was able to make it to the most famous club competition on the football planet.

He knew the joy of scoring a goal in the Champions League, also in the most famous Czech duel – the derby with Slavia. But in the cup. Not yet in a Premier League game.